The present invention relates to roll dispensers and more particularly to a multiple roll holder unit for storing multiple rolls, for example toilet paper, towel rolls, etc., and dispensing them one at a time as needed in ready-to-use position.
Known in the art is U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,719 (Upham et al.) which show a roll dispenser and rack having a magazine in which rolls are stacked vertically. An arcuate paddle is mounted in the magazine near its open bottom to selectively obstruct and clear it. The paddle is provided with a lever which extends outwardly and slides through the peripheral wall of the magazine. The lever is operable to move the paddle along a semi-circular course at the ends of which the paddle faces respectively upwardly to hold the lowermost roll in the magazine, and downwardly to release the lowermost roll. The roll so released falls and is caught on both sides by a pair of retaining arms under the bottom opening of the magazine. The return of the paddle to close the bottom opening of the magazine pushes the roll in place between the retaining arms, ejecting at the same time a depleted roll possibly held by the arms.
The roll replacement in the rack is prone to unreliable results as it requires pressure to be applied to a replacement roll against a depleted roll. The diameter of the rolls is also a factor to be considered in the operation of the dispenser. Also, space is needed around the magazine so that a user can properly actuate the lever.
An object of the invention is to provide a multiple roll holder unit which overcomes the above problems, and which is simple in construction and highly reliable and efficient.
According to the present invention, there is provided a multiple roll holder unit comprising a magazine having a roll loading opening and an inner compartment in which rolls loaded in the magazine lay in a substantially stacked arrangement. A roll holder extends on a lower portion of and in communication with the inner compartment of the magazine. The roll holder has a pair of roll retaining arms on opposite sides of a roll holding area, the roll retaining arms being moveable between a retracted position wherein the roll retaining arms are moved out of the roll holding area, and a roll engaging position wherein the roll retaining arms engage with and retain a roll in the roll holding area. A transfer mechanism is provided for transferring a lowermost one of the rolls in the magazine to the roll holding area of the roll holder. The transfer mechanism has upper and lower cup members hinged at one side with each other and having respective rotation axes extending for combined operation of the cup members between a rest position wherein the upper cup member is turned upwardly for receiving and holding the lowermost one of the rolls in the magazine while the lower cup member extends behind the roll holding area, and a transfer position wherein both cups are turned toward each other until the roll held by the upper cup member falls on the lower cup member while the upper cup member provides support to a next one of the rolls in the magazine. Means are also operatively associated with the cup members for moving the roll retaining arms between the retracted and roll engaging positions as the cup members are respectively set in the transfer and rest positions.
Preferably, the lower cup member has a transverse opening through which a depleted roll released by the roll holder falls when the cup members are operated from the rest position to the transfer position as a result of the roll holding arms moving from the roll engaging position to the retracted position. Preferably, a handle member downwardly projects from a side opposite to the hinged side of the lower cup member, to facilitate the operation of the transfer mechanism.
A detailed description of preferred embodiments is given herein below with reference to the following drawings, in which like numbers refer to like elements.